I am glad to share with you this amazing Refined Sugar Free Carrot Cake as an alternative to the classic carrot cake if for some reason you need to stay away from refined sugar but craving delicious baked desserts. The recipe is slightly adapted after my delightful recipe of Caramel Carrot Cake.
The cake consists of three layers of moist carrot cake enriched with toasted pecans, frosted with a delightful light cream cheese and whipping cream frosting, and served with a date caramel sauce. I am extremely pleased with the results and happy to be able to share this recipe with you all.
To make this cake refined sugar free, I have used natural sweeteners instead of regular sugar, dates for the cake layers and honey for the frosting. Beside being a refined sugar free dessert I have also tried to reduce the fat, so instead of canola oil I have used coconut oil as a healthier substitute and used light cream cheese for the frosting.
This carrot cake is for sure healthier, lower in calories and richer in nutrients than a classic carrot cake, but even though it is a refined sugar free cake it can not be considered a sugar free cake at all, as dates and honey definitely contain sugar. Therefore, I believe that this cake, as all the other cakes, should also be eaten in moderation to maintain a healthy diet. Let me know if you try it out and hope you enjoy it as we sure did!
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
Low Fat Refined Sugar Free Cheesecake
Refined Sugar Free Chocolate Cake
Refined Sugar Free Breakfast Muffins
Best Ever Refined Sugar Free Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Refined sugar free carrot cake layers
- 10 oz (300g) pitted dates
- 1/2 cup (120g) hot boiling water
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp (6g) baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp (9g) baking soda
- 1 tsp (5g) salt
- 2 tsp (6g) cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp (2g) nutmeg
- 12 oz (350g) finely grated carrot (about 4-5 medium carrots)
- 4 eggs
- 2/3 cup (150g) coconut oil/vegetable oil
- 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (100g) pecans , toasted and chopped
Light Cream Cheese Frosting
- 17 oz (500g) light cream cheese , room temperature
- 1 ½ cup (360g) whipping cream (35% fat) , chilled
- 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (115g) Honey or maple syrup
Date Salted Caramel Sauce, optional
- 4 oz (120g) pitted dates
- 1/4 cup (60ml) hot boiling water
- 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
- 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp (3g) salt
Instructions
- Prepare the refined sugar free carrot cake layers. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Grease and line with parchment paper three 8 inch (20 cm) round cake pans.
- Add dates and boiling water to a food processor or bowl of a blender and process until it turns into a paste.
- In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a large bowl add eggs with date paste and mix for a few minutes until creamy and lighter in color. Add coconut or vegetable oil and mix until well combined. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Using a spatula incorporate the grated carrot and toasted pecans.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let pans cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cakes from the pan and let them cool completely.
- Prepare the cream cheese frosting. In a bowl mix the cream cheese with honey or maple syrup and vanilla extract until smooth. Add cold whipping cream and continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
- Assemble the cake. Place one cake layer on your serving plate. Spread evenly with a bit less than a third of frosting. Add the second layer of cake. Spread evenly with a bit less than a third of frosting. Gradually spread the remaining frosting on top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until ready to serve.
- Prepare the Date Salted Caramel Sauce. Add dates and boiling water into a bowl and let soak for 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor or bowl of a blender and process until it turns into a paste. Gradually add milk to reach desired consistency.
- Add salt and vanilla extract and process to combine.
- Decorate the cake with toasted pecans, whipped cream and peeled carrot curls.
- Serve as is or with date salted caramel sauce if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @homecookingadventure on Instagram and hashtag it #homecookingadventure.
My mouth is watering! Sounds incredibly yummy 🙂 Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe.
My family fasts sugar annually at the beginning on the year. However, my mom’s birthday falls in January so I made this cake. It was really good considering it had no refined sugar! The texture is great across the board. Definitely tucking this recipe away for later use!
Just made this for a toddler birthday party and it was delicious. It had a nice amount of sweetness to it and was moist with a fluffy texture. I paired it with a different date-sweetened cream cheese frosting recipe to continue the whole fruit sweetener theme. The batter was not quite enough for me to put into three pans so I only made a two layer cake but the end result was delicious. Several people asked me for the recipe afterwards so it was definitely a hit with the whole family and I was happy to have a delicious cake with a lower glycemic load than traditional cakes.
My first refined sugar free cake for a baby’s 1st birthday. I replaced the cream cheese frosting with 10% fat greek yoghurt + maple syrup.
Happy baby, happy parents
Thank you Ella !!
So happy to hear that Paula:) Glad you enjoyed it!
Is there a substitute for ap flour such as einkorn flour or a grain free one?
I think you can try with a gluten free flour, a mixture of flours or simply with almond flour.